While a facelift is a surgical procedure, the benefits and results of a facelift are almost immediate and long lasting. Once bruising and swelling has dissipated , the results can be quite impressive. Although most men and women want quick results, the cost and downtime of a facelift, can be a big decision.

A facelift tightens aging facial skin and underlying muscles, however it doesn’t improve skin quality. Bad skin quality can ruin a good facelift result and should be treated as well.

Many people who might have considered a facelift in the past are now opting for laser and/or dermal filler treatments.

As we age, volume is lost and we tend to look hollow and droopy. Dermal fillers, like Juvederm, Perlane and Teosyal, replace the volume that has been lost over the years. By injecting these fillers into the cheeks and the lower face, such as the marionettes and jawline, the skin appears lifted. This treatment of filling areas of the face with dermal fillers is commonly referred to as a “liquid facelift”. Although a liquid facelift might be an ideal non-surgical treatment for some, again, it doesn’t always address excess skin.

If your problem is wrinkled skin with mild laxity, then skin resurfacing either with laser or chemical peels should be considered. If the issue is gravity, then the answer is surgery to restore the skin & underlying structures to their former position.

One option for skin tightening is radiofrequency. Thermage helps tighten the skin by directly tightening the collagen, which can give you a bit of a lift. Fraxel can tighten skin as well by reducing wrinkles, resurfacing and improving skin tone and texture of the skin.

Another non-surgical popular treatment among the stars is an focused ultrasound treatment known as Ultherapy . Ultherapy requires no downtime and results are immediate and only improve over time.

Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound energy to target the same layer known as the smas , which is the underlying deep tissue that is addressed by surgeons in cosmetic surgery.

Ultherapy has the ability to also target the skin as well with a different depth causing new collagen to build as well, which over time will lift and tighten the skin. Ultherapy bypasses the top surface of the skin to deliver energy at optimal depths, temperature and precision. Patients who are not ready for surgery find that this is a great alternative to a facelift. Ultherapy can also lift your brows and the area under the chin and neck and smooth the décolleté.

Each face is different, and like all cosmetic treatments, not every procedure is right for every patient. The ideal candidates for skin tightening treatments are those who don’t quite need a facelift, and whose skin hasn’t reached the level of looseness that only a facelift can target. If you are not ready for the cost, or downtime involved with a Facelift procedure; then book a complimentary consultation at Lasting Looks Clinic to discuss your options for rejuvenation. Visit www.lastinglooks.ca to see if Dermal fillers, Laser or Ultherapy is right for you.